English proper and common nouns

What are common nouns?

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Common nouns definition

Common nouns are non-capitalized generic nouns that refer to people, animals, ideas, and objects. The only time they are written with a capital letter is if they are at the beginning of the sentence. 

Common nouns examples

• mountain
• coffee
• book
• meal

What are proper nouns?

Proper nouns definition

Proper nouns are used to refer to something very specific, unlike common nouns. They can refer to people, animals, places, things, and ideas. Whether in the beginning, middle or end of the sentences they always begin with a capital letter. There are several categories of proper nouns that we will explore further in this lesson. 

Identifying days of the week, months, and holidays

• Monday is my least favorite day of the week.
• I was born in November.
• Christmas is just around the corner, I can't wait!
• I wish we had Thanksgiving in Europe.

Names of people and brands

• I thought Emma was the love of my life but I was wrong.
• The name of your new assistant is Salina.
• I love flying with Japan Airlines.
• I recently earned a Gold status with Star Alliance. 

Geographical locations, officially recognized places, and buildings

• I am from Plovdiv. It is a medium-sized city in Bulgaria.
• My best friend is studying in New York.
• I went on a cruise on the Rhine river last year.
• We would really like to explore Asia. 
• Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon National Park?
• Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world.
• Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous landmarks.

Nationalities, languages and religious terms

• They are Australians.
• Originally, I am Belgian.
• She speaks French, Russian, English, and Dutch.
• I studied French in high school.
• Are you a Christian?
• I respect you, regardless of what God you believe or don't believe in.

Historical events, titles, magazines, works of art

• The Nanking Massacre is one of the most horrible things I have ever studied about.
• The Wall Street Crash of 1929 marked the beginning of the Great Depression.
• Jack Dawson believed he was the King of the world.
• Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning queen of the United Kingdom.
• My favorite newspaper is The Guardian.
• The Starry Night was painted by Vincent van Gogh.